The new five-level, 1.6-million-square-foot facility consolidates all the rental car operations, including vehicle pick and drop off, car storage, cleaning and fueling.

Eleven car rental agencies — with more than 300 employees — are currently operating within the facility, according to the airport.

More than 3,000 rental cars will pass through the facility per day — with up to 5,000 rental cars passing through on the busiest days.

“Our experience with the team at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was great,” said Mark Pfeffer, president and CEO of Pfeffer Development, which helped construct the new facility. “We believe the airport recognized the value in what the rental car companies proposed: bringing-in an experienced CONRAC team to bundle design, construction, financing and deal term negotiations into a single delivery. On our side, we saw the factors that were important to the airport and worked hard to deliver so they could focus on other priorities. … ”

The new rental facility also provides more public parking. By moving the vehicles to the facility, it has opened up around 900 parking spaces for public use.

“We’re excited about what this facility provides: the efficiencies to our operations, the environmental impact on Austin’s air and water, and the positive impact it will have on customer service,” said Jackie Agan, rental car industry chairperson and director, properties and concessions for The Hertz Corp.

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Counter bypass is just the beginning. The promise of a “data-driven ecosystem” that connects renters with the rental agency, retail services, and even the city is a better managed fleet, an improved user experience, and new revenue opportunities during the rental itself.